The calendar has turned to June, the Major League Soccer season is 3 months old and the Crew has
yet to define itself as anything beyond mediocre. They are not bad, they are not good and they are
not inspirational.

Last night, the Crew played host to the Houston Dynamo. In the days leading up to the game, a
fan group staged a social-media campaign aimed at attracting a sellout. It was a noble effort by
some hard-core folks who care about the game. How did the campaign go? There were 11,040 on hand
last night, 1,000 below this season’s average and some 9,000 below capacity.

We all know that America’s first soccer-specific stadium provides a terrific atmosphere when the
stands are teeming. We know what it is like when World Cup qualifiers are staged here. We know
president and general manger Mark McCullers and his staff work hard to draw ticket buyers, and
history shows the buyers are out there.

My two cents: At this point in Crew history, fans are more savvy than blindly loyal, the Crew is
merely middling and attendance is in direct correlation. You want more people in the building? Win
with some consistency, and maybe start with a hot streak. The only thing that has caught fire in
Crew Stadium is the scoreboard, and that was more than a month ago.

Last night, the Crew did all sorts of wonderful things on the field against the Dynamo. They
attacked with alacrity early and did not score. They attacked late and did not score. Their lone
goal, from Federico Higuain, came on a penalty kick. The goal they allowed was generated by a run
down the right wing by Kofi Sarkodie and a sharp volley by Warren Creavalle. Apparently, both men
have powers of invisibility. Sarkodie was unmarked for 20 yards and Sarkodie, in the middle of the
box, had nary a defender within eight feet of him.

The final score was 1-1.

Crew coach Robert Warzycha said he was not frustrated. He liked the pace of play, he liked his
team’s passing and he liked the number of chances it generated – “a ton,” he said, without fibbing
in the least.

“No, I’m not frustrated,” Warzycha said. “I wish we scored goals. Obviously, it would be much
better and people would like it more and we would be higher in the standings.”

The Crew (4-4-5) is in sixth place in the Eastern Conference, just below the playoff line. Two
of their four victories have come against D.C. United. The two others have come against Chivas USA
and Toronto FC. Heading into the weekend, the combined record of their three vanquished opponents
was 5-23-9.

If there is a bright spot, it is their 3-2-2 road record. It is dimmed, somewhat, by their 1-2-3
home record. What the faithful in Crew Stadium have been subjected to is poor-to-fair results, the
stuff of mid-pack, nondescript teams. Is it a wonder attendance has stagnated?

Higuain is generally worth the price of admission, especially when he is working well in
combination with Jairo Arrieta and/or Dominic Oduro. They generate flickers. To this point, there
has been little in the way of acceleration.

It is true that Warzycha and his charges are dealing with some key injuries. Chad Marshall, the
two-time MLS defender of the year, is resting a sore hamstring. Midfielder Eddie Gaven, a critical
two-way player, blew out his knee against a team from Dayton in a U.S. Open Cup game last week and
his long-term loss truly hurts.

Yet, the Crew brain trust has been on a three-year building plan and they are supposed to have
depth. McCullers touted this team as a contender.

There is time yet, with 17 games remaining. If they want to entertain lofty thoughts they must
win games like the one against Houston, and win them handily, and string a few together. The fans
will buy that.